FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — President Barack Obama celebrated much-needed good economic news Friday as the unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level since he took office. "We are moving forward again," he boasted. Republican rival Mitt Romney retorted the president still hasn't done enough to help millions of people who are out of work.

The figures announced by the Labor Department — 114,000 new jobs last month to bring the unemployment rate to 7.8 percent — gave Obama fresh evidence on the heels of his disappointing debate performance to argue that his economic policies are working. Romney countered that the country can't afford four more years of the president's leadership and argued that the rate is low in part because some people have quit looking for work.

And on the heels of some much needed positive news for our nation, of course the 'truthers' rear their ugly heads

Conservatives Doubt Jobs Numbers Following Strong Report

WASHINGTON -- Following an unexpectedly strong jobs report Friday showing unemployment falling to 7.8 percent and 114,000 new jobs added, conservative media figures and one prominent business leader quickly latched on to conspiracy theories about the veracity of the numbers.

Call it jobs-numbers trutherism. And for the sake of historical record, its origin was a tweet from former General Electric CEO Jack Welch.

"Unbelievable jobs numbers..these Chicago guys will do anything..can't debate so change numbers," tweeted Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric.

The right-leaning Americans for Limited Government released a statement saying, "Either the Federal Reserve, which has its fingers on the pulse of every element of the economy, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics manufacturing survey report are grievously wrong or the number used to calculate the unemployment rate are wrong, or worse manipulated. Given that these numbers conveniently meet Obama's campaign promises one month before the election, the conclusions are obvious."

Economic journalist Stuart Varney said on Fox News, "There is widespread distrust of this report."

The numbers released just after 8:30 a.m. Friday differed from numbers released for months which offered a predictable pattern: sub-par job growth, an unchanged unemployment rate hovering above 8 percent, and more people dropping out of the labor force.

This report was different. There were upward revisions from July and August, more people started looking for work and the unemployment rate fell to a level matched by the period when President Barack Obama took office.

Conn Carroll, of the Washington Examiner, tweeted, "I don't think BLS cooked numbers. I think a bunch of Dems lied about getting jobs. That would have same effect.

Rick Santelli, the CNBC media personality, yelled, "I told you they'd get it under 8 percent -- they did! You can let America decide how they got there!"

Hilda Solis, the United States secretary of labor, said on CNBC that the notion that the numbers were being manipulated was "ludicrous."

Nevertheless, some groups stuck with the narrative that the economy isn't improving fast enough. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC primarily backed by GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, launched a robocall attacking vulnerable House Democrats over the figures.

"I am calling on behalf of the Congressional Leadership Fund to tell you about the weak new jobs report," reads the script. "With just 114,000 jobs added, it's yet another failure of policies supported by Obama and Kathy Hochul. But we don't need a jobs report to know that these failed economic policies are hurting family's bottom lines. We've been buried in it."

UPDATE: 10:27 a.m. -- Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) joined in on the trutherism Friday on his Facebook page. "I agree with former GE CEO Jack Welch, Chicago style politics is at work here. Somehow by manipulation of data we are all of a sudden below 8 percent unemployment, a month from the Presidential election. This is Orwellian to say the least and representative of Saul Alinsky tactics from the book "Rules for Radicals"- a must read for all who want to know how the left strategize."

He went on, "Trust the Obama administration? Sure, and the spontaneous reaction to a video caused the death of our Ambassador......and pigs fly."

This is nothing new. Employment and inflation statistics have always been suspect for years now. It takes like 120k jobs each month just to keep up with population growth. Remember that month when barely any jobs were added yet the employment rate dropped? You can argue whether there is manipulation or not, but many agree the way these numbers are calculated is flawed and isn't realistic. Again, this is nothing new...

Except they don't count the people who stop looking for a job... so the number isn't really indicative of the true unemployment rate.

Very true, which is why it's so strange that some conservatives seem to be panicking over these numbers and spewing nonsense and irrational conspiracy theories in response. These are ok numbers, nothing great really, but they are positive. The stock market is responding well to the reports and many see this as a sign of a sustained positive recovery.

It is just a case of the media trying to influence people who arent educated about this type of thing. The statistic is flawed, as are most macroeconomic stats, but it is not faked. The key is knowing how to interpret it and instead of doing their job and educating viewers the media is spinning conspiracy stories.

This is nothing new. Employment and inflation statistics have always been suspect for years now. It takes like 120k jobs each month just to keep up with population growth. Remember that month when barely any jobs were added yet the employment rate dropped? You can argue whether there is manipulation or not, but many agree the way these numbers are calculated is flawed and isn't realistic. Again, this is nothing new...

considering its the same numbers they use to attack Obama, its laughable how now they're flawed numbers

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- More than 200,000 long-term jobless Americans will lose their unemployment checks this week, when eight states roll off the federal extended benefits program.

Nearly half of them live in California, and the rest reside in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Colorado, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The federal extended benefits program has provided the jobless with up to 20 weeks of unemployment checks after they've run through their state and their federal emergency benefits, which together last up to 79 weeks.

But the extended benefits program is expiring throughout the country as the economy improves. To be eligible for these benefits, a state must show that its unemployment rate is at least 10% higher than it was in at least one of the past three years.

State unemployment rates have been falling as the jobless find new positions or exit the workforce. For instance, Nevada has the highest state unemployment rate at 12%, but it's still below the 14% it logged in October 2010.

It's amazing how when benefits reach their expiration date, suddenly people find work again.

^^ there's a fraction of the job postings on the Charlotte craigslist just TODAY.

The old "people cant find jobs, people are out of work" line is phony rhetoric. Unemployment numbers are high because unemployment benefits extend far too long. Numerous studies have shown that if they last 5 years, people find jobs after 4 years, 11 months. If they last 4 years, people find jobs after 3 years, 11 months.

It's extremely disengenuous for Democrats to pipe up about jobs/unemployment. They're the ones who want to encourage people to rely on government handouts rather than work. The proof is there, jobs ARE available. You can find lots and lots of craigslist job postings in EVERY city, mates! People are just coasting instead of working. Funny how the President they voted for has to take heat for their apathy. But that's what it's about. Lazy and selfish. Sure, they'll vote for Obama if he'll help them be lazy and selfish. But once he needs their help? Nah, they're gonna stay lazy and selfish.